The operators of a Plain Township head shop have been indicted on federal charges alleging a conspiracy to sell synthetic marijuana products called Spice and K2.

A federal grand jury has indicted Twilight Boutique owners Sean and Sherry Lightner, both 38, of Grafton. Also indicted were store franchisee Dale Drummond, 39, of Cleveland; Mark Picard, 32, of California; and Nathan Albright of Arizona, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Northern Ohio district office in Cleveland.

"These defendants sold a product that was designed to mimic an illegal drug," U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach said in a statement. "No matter what it was labeled or whatever clever name it was given, it was illegal."

They are accused of selling synthetic cannabinoids from about a dozen stores in Tallmadge, Streetsboro and other locations.

The chain's only Stark County store is at 2872 Whipple Ave. NW, which bills itself as "a best-in-class smoke shop" that opened in December 2009 and sells smoking accessories, according to its website at www.shop-twilight.com.

Its Facebook page at Twilight Boutique Canton said Thursday the employees would be in the store but cannot open until Friday due to an inventory count. No one answered repeated calls Thursday.

"The Lightners presented laboratory reports to others, including employees, alleging that the synthetic cannabinoids sold in the Twilight Boutique stores did not contain controlled substances or controlled substance analogues in an effort to give the appearance that the synthetic cannabinoids were legal when the Lightners knew they were illegal," the indictment said.

A cannabinoid is a chemical compound found in marijuana.

Dettelbach said in his news release that Albright sold synthetic cannabinoids through his company, Desert Distribution, and that he and Picard sold synthetic cannabinoids through their company, Royal Dutch.

The indictment filed in federal court said the product names included not only Spice and K-2, others were labeled "potpourri" and "aromatic therapy." The company also sold glass bongs, pipes, rolling papers and other drug paraphernalia-related items.

According to the indictment, the Plain Township store had 72 packets of "Devil Inside" and 356 packets of "Joker" for sale on June 26, all of which contained synthetic cannabinoids.